by Lou Slawetsky
 

I’m certain that it’s because of my profession – consulting to the office imaging industry – that I’m inundated with press releases.  Some of these contain real news – vendor financial performance, market share/shipment changes, etc.  Most contain ersatz news – “new” product launches that are, in reality, logical extensions of existing systems, alliances with software vendors that have already aligned themselves with virtually every other vendor, personnel changes that seem to create new jobs causing industry observers to spend entirely too much time trying to mine significance from an otherwise dry well, and on and on.

            You get the picture.  I’m not saying that we receive too much news, but, rather, there’s too little news in what we receive.  Further, the releases and announcements with which we are inundated on a daily basis are often thinly veiled attempts by marketing departments and PR agencies to keep the vendor name at the top of the level of conscious awareness.

            Why do I continue to plow through the industry news?  Because once in a great while I come across something that changes the way I think about what a vendor represents, beyond the hardware/software they sell, or the status of their “reorganization du jour.” This week, I received a release from Xerox Corporation that fits squarely into that category.  On June 26, the company announced a link from their website (www.Xerox.com) to www.LetsSayThanks.com, a website sponsored by them, but available directly, without the need to enter the Xerox site.  Through this innovative site, viewers can browse a collection of greeting cards (thank you notes) hand drawn by children from around the country.  After selecting a card, the viewer can add a personalized message and “send” it to deployed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.  The cards are not sent electronically.  Rather, they are first printed on a Xerox iGen3^(r) Digital Production Press and mailed in care packages by the military support organization Give2theTroops.

            “We started this effort so specific communities could get even more involved with supporting their local servicemen and women,” said Mike Brannigan, president of Xerox's United States Solutions Group. "But when we saw the reaction not only from the public but also from the troops overseas, we moved to an online effort that will allow people from across the U.S. and around the world to send postcards            

            to the men and women of the armed forces.”

            Regardless of your opinions of our involvement overseas, its hard to ignore the troops involved, hard to ignore the offer and hard to forget the company sponsoring the program.  It helps Xerox stand out from the crowd.

            We could all take a lesson from this.  There are roughly 15 major suppliers of office imaging systems.  Your customers have come to think that they’re all alike and what few differences there may be, don’t really matter. 

            So, how do you stand out?  Certainly not by stressing a new piece of hardware, a new software alliance or your vendor’s most recent reorganization.  Set yourself apart from the competitive crowd by doing something different, but something that matters.  Sponsor a little league team.  Run a charity event (running, cycling, etc.).  “Adopt” a highway.  Sponsor events for disadvantaged children. Help to staff a shelter.  Don’t just throw money.  Become involved.  And, let people know so that they can be involved as well.  Not so incidentally, they’ll know who you are.  There are few bonds stronger than those forged through the mutual efforts of helping others.